1. Addiction
How cocaine affects the brain
Katrina Land

2. What is addiction?
 “…the repetitive, compulsive use of a substance by a
person despite negative consequences to his life
and/or health.” (1)
 It is psychological and physical (1)
 A person can be addicted to
food, drugs, nicotine, alcohol, sex, caffeine, etc.

3. Addiction continued
 It manifests itself in three ways: craving for the
object, loss of control over its use, and continuing
involvement in it despite the negative consequences
(3)
 It is a “chronic disease that changes brain structure
and function.” (3)
 Cocaine is one of the top three drugs that causes
addiction, along with marijuana and narcotic pain
relievers (3)

4. Cocaine
 Classified as a stimulant  Affects the monoamine
 Can cause an increase neurotransmitters –
in heart rate and blood norepinephrine, epineph
pressure, as well as rine, dopamine, and
seizures, stroke, sudde serotonin (1)
n cardiac death, and  “…stimulants mimic
breathing failure (1) what would happen if
every one of the
neurons that released
monoamine fired at
once.” (1)

6.  “Cocaine use causes a decrease in
glucose metabolism in the
brain, especially in the frontal
lobes, where planning, abstract
thinking and regulation of impulse
behavior are governed.”
Interactive TIME
Science article
about addiction:
http://www.time.co
m/time/interactive/
0,31813,1640235,00
.html

7. Why do people become addicts?
 Most drugs hijack the chemicals in our brains that
bring pleasure, and people like how they feel (at
least temporarily)
 When the good feelings wear off, they want the good
feeling to come back
 This cycle causes a psychological and physical need
for the drug
 Every single brain has the potential to become
addicted (1)

8. Maternal cocaine use
 Causes damage to fetal development
 Affects children’s brain development through:
 Abuse & neglect (2)
 Lack of attachment as an infant (2)
 Lack of stimulation
 Increased stress in the environment
 Possible placement in foster care (2)

9. Recovery Resources in Thurston County
 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): aadistrict8.org
 Al-Anon/Alateen: wa-al-anon.org
 Christian Recovery: ougm.org
 Clean & Sober Parenting:
familyeducationandsupport.org
 Narcotics Anonymous: spsana.org
 BHR Recovery Services: bhr.org
 State Alcohol & Drug Help Line: adhl.org
 Outpatient Services: therightstepinc.com

10. Annotated Bibliography
 1. Kuhn, Cynthia, Scott Swartzwelder, Wilkie Wilson, Leigh Heather. Wilson, and Jeremy
Foster. Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol
to Ecstasy. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2008. Print.
I focused on the chapters about stimulants, the brain, and addiction. This books gives facts about a
variety of drugs as well as how they affect the brain and body.
 2. Strathearn, Lane, and Linda C. Mayes. "Cocaine Addiction In Mothers." Annals Of The New York
Academy Of Sciences1187.1 (2010): 172-183. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Feb.
2012.
This article is about how maternal cocaine use affects children. Some issues that come from
maternal cocaine use are abuse and neglect, foster care placement, and lack of attachment.
 3. "How Addiction Hijacks The Brain." Harvard Mental Health Letter 28.1 (2011): 1-3. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 25 Feb. 2012.
This article features statistics on addiction and its process. It includes how addiction works in the
brain and information about the difficulties of recovery.
 Slide 9 resources: 2010-2012 Parent Resource Guide of Thurston County (not sure how to cite
this)